3,684,634.00 Million Reasons to Change Our Community

By JOHN THOMPSON JR, UPWARD EAST ORANGE

March 20, 2017 at 9:14 PM

Content Options

East Orange Mayoral Candidate John Thompson Challenges Budget Claims

As I start my journey on finding ways to keep my promise of reducing taxes for our community, I found a staggering difference between the 2012 budget and the 2016 budget. Salary increases of 3,684,634.00. Now to some people, that may not seem like a lot, but to a community like ours, this matters!

Increasing salaries in the midst of a recession is out right ethically wrong and narrow minded. How can a government take advantage of its community when cost of living continues to rise and taxes keep going up? The city council salaries went from $49,000 to $67,710 in 2015. This is all public record, so you can find this information online or you can ask them when they’re walking around looking for support for re-election.

The administration mentioned, on more than one occasion, that the previous administration left a deficit. First, it was stated in 2014 the deficit was 3.9 million dollars. Then the Mayor stated the deficit was 10 million dollars at the State Of The City speech. Which is it? Regardless of which information is accurate, financial deficit is an ongoing issue within our city. One of the best ways to hide information from the public is through a municipal budget. Trust me; it’s a lot to look through.

Taxes are created when the municipality hires and gives salary increases to its employees and then expense falls back onto the people of the community. In other words, you and I, the taxpayers, have to “foot the bill” to keep the government salaries afloat. An article written by Milan Kundera fully encapsulates our community’s dilemma. She states, “The struggle of memory against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” We, as a community, cannot afford to forget! We, as a community, cannot afford to share in contributing to the problem any longer by continuing to vote for the same individuals that appear to put their own well-being before ours.

Would you keep rehiring a plumber to fix your pipes if he kept breaking them? So why do we, as a community, keep re-electing unethical and selfish politicians? We need to stop making this mistake every four years. Our habits are hurting the community, and judging by the $3,684,634.00 salary increased, we now have proof that this has been taking place throughout the four years.

I, John Thompson Jr., intend to dispel the notion that property taxes can’t be reduced. A large portion of that money will be used to push taxes down, along with creating programs for our youth and seniors and to prevent some of the unfortunate foreclosures in our community. This will help our community and help us save ourselves.

My administration will be more fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars by giving people within the community more of a voice. Council shouldn’t be allowed to give themselves a pay increase without first consulting the public; put your request for a salary increase up for a vote. New buildings should never have a green light for construction without approval from the community; put your request for new buildings up for a vote. The community is not only unwillingly responsible for paying $3,684,634.00, but there is another hefty tax increase coming in the form of abatements which will continue to hurt our community. East Orange ordinance states that abatements are given with a term of 5 years. Those new buildings will NOT, I repeat, NOT be paying taxes, therefore, the community will have to pay for those services. The community needs to be informed regarding the allotment of their tax dollars and how long WE are going to be paying this debt.

Some will argue that the only way to attract new business is in the form of abatements. I’ll push back on this thinking. I believe, if we can keep our taxes low and redistribute some of the money from the $3,684,634.00 that is currently being kept from the citizens of East Orange, we could attract developers and negotiate a better plan that will actually contribute to the city.

Debt-bonding, also known commonly as taking out loans, to pay for projects like a new golf course, is not economically a good investment if the city is going to have a hard time paying that money back. We as a community need to wake up and stop voting our habits or for a particular party without understanding what we are voting for on the ballot. Because in the end, long after these elected officials have moved on, you and I will be stuck with more financial issues based on their self-centered, not community-centered, decisions. The Democratic Party, LINE A, has created noting but myths of opportunities.

East Orange Deserves better, you deserve better. We need to work together to change the direction of our city otherwise there may not be a community for any of us to call home.

Remember East Orange, vote your conscience and not your habits. You now have $3,684,634.00 reasons to do so.

Sincerely,

East Orange Mayoral Candidate

John Thompson Jr.

The opinions expressed herein are the writer's alone, and do not reflect the opinions of TAPinto.net or anyone who works for TAPinto.net. TAPinto.net is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the writer. Click
here
to submit a Letter to the Editor.

EAST HANOVER, NJ --- On Saturday, December 2nd, the East Orange Education Foundation, Inc. (EOEF) hosted its annual Congressman Donald M. Payne, Sr. Torchbearer for Education Awards Luncheon at The Hanover Manor. As in past several years, the Foundation acknowledged the contributions of individuals who have made a significant impact on the educational and community environment within East Orange, ...

Every business experiences a crisis at some point. It can cause fear, anger and make you anxious if you’re in charge of leading others. Most business owners and employees expect you to set aside your own fears, staying calm and leading with confidence. You need to know how to lead without panic in a crisis to find effective solutions quickly.

HILLSIDE, NJ— On Dec. 5 it was announced that Emerge NJ’s 2016 alumni, Dahlia Vertreese won her election to become Mayor of Hillside in Union County.

Vertreese’s labor street push helped her win against her rival, attorney Jorge Batista in the runoff election. Vertreese said, “I am a labor organizer and often deal with conflict, fear and uncertainty. No matter the ...

Small businesses are the cornerstone of our community, and when we shop and dine small in East Orange, we help to ensure that $68 out of every $100 spent remains in our local economy and we support the businesses that create two out of every three new jobs in our workforce each year.

East Orange is bustling with old and new businesses that represent the diversity of our great ...

EAST ORANGE, NJ - Isaiah House's Youths Empowered to Succeed (YES) project was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—BASIC Centers grant, to help reduce the number of homeless youths surviving on the streets in Essex County, and to help increase the number of runaway and homeless youths receiving much-needed services to help them reunite with their families; and/or ...

EAST ORANGE, NJ - Isaiah House has a long history of service in East Orange as a homeless housing provider and advocate for residents in economic trouble. Recently however, the agency has faced financial difficulties of their own.

In an effort to diversify their funding options, the organization has ventured into creating a new income stream by creating their own line of spices for ...

EAST ORANGE, NJ - Quality Insights Quality Innovation Network, supported locally by Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc. (HQSI), is partnering with Prospect Park Apartments to provide free diabetes workshops as part of the Everyone with Diabetes Counts (EDC) program. The EDC program is a national initiative of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The program offers free ...

EAST ORANGE, NJ - Quality Insights Quality Innovation Network, supported locally by Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc. (HQSI), is partnering with Prospect Park Apartments to provide free diabetes workshops as part of the Everyone with Diabetes Counts (EDC) program. The EDC program is a national initiative of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The program offers free ...

EAST ORANGE, NJ - Isaiah House's Youths Empowered to Succeed (YES) project was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—BASIC Centers grant, to help reduce the number of homeless youths surviving on the streets in Essex County, and to help increase the number of runaway and homeless youths receiving much-needed services to help them reunite with their families; and/or ...

NEWARK, NJ – During an Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders Board meeting at Maplewood Town Hall the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a Resolution “Establishing The County Of Essex Aspirational Goal Initiative To Increase The Participation Of A Diverse And Qualified Essex County Workforce In County Projects.”

Maybe you’ve seen them; the one employee who is doing extremely well in their job. Are they ready to take on more responsibility? Perhaps they are. Or maybe they are very close but need help discovering and developing their strengths so they become more confident. The latter is where you come in as the employer, manager or team leader.

Small businesses are the cornerstone of our community, and when we shop and dine small in East Orange, we help to ensure that $68 out of every $100 spent remains in our local economy and we support the businesses that create two out of every three new jobs in our workforce each year.

East Orange is bustling with old and new businesses that represent the diversity of our great ...